“I had a crush on Scott for years, but we lived a few provinces apart, only bumping into each other when we were home between hockey seasons and university semesters. It didn’t seem possible for our stars to align, but I wasn’t too worried, thinking there must be other guys like him out there. Wrong! It took years of searching for “My Scott” to realise his adventurous, easy-going, and kind spirit was one-of-a-kind. While I’m a gushy romantic and knew he was the one before our first date, Scott’s emotions are a lot more… subtle. Early in our relationship, I asked Scott to tell me about his feelings, and after thinking long and hard all he managed was “Feelings are good”. It was absolutely not what I was after, but made me laugh so hard it went on to become the tagline of our wedding! Our big day wasn’t just about celebrating the two of us, but all the people who have supported us along the way. With this spirit in mind, we knew the bride should not be the only one in white, and asked every guest to wear white (or light – we didn’t want the dress code to be too difficult). We made sure champagne glasses were always full, with a welcome glass, a top up when we popped bottles during the first kiss, and a champagne waterfall instead of cutting a cake. We integrated personal touches from as many people as we could. I wore my mother-in-law’s wedding dress for the rehearsal dinner, my mother’s veil for my something borrowed, and wrapped a strip of Scott’s Nana’s wedding dress and my father’s baby bracelet around my bouquet for something old and something blue. Our fondest memories as a couple take place outside – whether it’s hiking, camping, or skiing – so it was important to us that the venue and decor highlighted nature’s beauty. The ceremony was our favourite part of the day – it was pure magic. I will never forget walking out of the trees arm in arm with my parents, hearing the beautiful classical guitar floating across the grass, and seeing the most magical scene in front of me: my dream man surrounded by stunning greenery, and a sea of all our favourite smiling faces. Our favourite moments of the day were the ones that were the most personal, so our advice to lovebirds planning upcoming weddings is to make it as personal as possible! Don’t be afraid to mix up traditions to make it feel more like you, and prioritize being sentimental over perfect. Following your heart is both more special and less stressful.”
